A close family member was recently diagnosed with cirrhosis (scarring) of liver. This came to light when she developed problems with her brain. One fine morning while coming back from a picnic, she was not talking sense. Her irrelevant talk surprised her son. At first, he thought it was some kind of jaadoo tona (witchcraft). A local doctor thought it was a mental health issue as there were no apparent signs of physical illness. A battery of tests showed that the patient had liver cirrhosis. Her lab results also found high levels of ammonia (a body's waste product) in her blood, which affected how her brain worked, explained her irrelevant speech.

After a few days treatment, she improved. She was told that her condition can't be cured and she will need regular care from now on. Although she has also had diabetes for about 20 years and was found to have fatty liver in the past, but fatty liver was not thought to be harmful and was overlooked. More and more experts are of the opinion that if fatty liver is caught early, it might be possible to manage it and lower the chances of it getting worse and turning into serious liver scarring.

Fatty liver disease is becoming more common around the world because more people are gaining weight and getting diabetes. At first, having fat in your liver usually doesn't cause problems, but it can sometimes lead to serious liver issues like cirrhosis, as has happened to my family member. People with diabetes often have fatty liver too, since both are linked to being overweight and certain lifestyle habits.

Managing diabetes well means keeping a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, staying active, lowering blood pressure, and controlling cholesterol. These steps can also help prevent or treat fatty liver disease. Good diabetes care includes preventing complications of diabetes and accompanying conditions, such as fatty liver disease.

Until not long ago, there was no good way to treat all these problems at once. People mostly had to change their daily habits, but very few managed to keep up with those lifestyle changes for a long time. The good news is that new diabetes medicines have recently become available. These drugs not only help lower blood glucose but can also help people lose weight and protect the liver. Research shows that starting these treatments early may help people live longer and lower their chances of getting fatty liver disease. Studies also show that even losing a small amount of weight -- especially for those who are overweight -- can reduce fat and swelling in the liver. Using these newer medicines makes it easier to manage weight and keep the liver healthy.

Of course, you don't have to rely only on medicines, lifestyle changes are a must for everyone, even if sticking with them can be tough sometimes. Adopt a healthy diet. Focus on vegetables (raw or boiled, not deep fried), fruits in moderation (papaya, apple, orange, guava, kiwi, berries, pears, avocados), nuts, seeds and dry fruits (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, chia seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds), lean proteins (eggs, poultry, fish), dairy-based lean proteins (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk) and whole grains. Try to eat less junk food, unhealthy fats, and sugary drinks, including fruit juices (yes, packaged fruit juices are not healthy). Staying active for at least 150 minutes each week helps your body use sugar better and lowers fat in your liver. A brisk walk for 30 minutes, five days a week, is a great goal.

The saying "prevention is better than cure" fits well here. It is smarter to stop health problems before they start instead of dealing with their consequences later. Meanwhile, the relative of mine deals with cirrhosis, a consequence of fatty liver. Recently she had a scan of the liver to check for liver cancer and was told to get regular checkups because people with cirrhosis are more likely to get liver cancer.